Practical Applications
by Tentacle-Enthusiast
Summary: MovieverseComic: Connors tests his serum on himself, but gains some unwanted side affects. Spider-Man and Doc Ock try to save him, but they're having problems of their own- Octavius has a stalker and Peter's having girl troubles. Please R&R.
1. Chapter 1

Curt Connors had been waiting for this moment for years. Ever since he had come back from performing surgery on wounded soldiers during the war where he had lost his arm, Connors had become obsessed with the regeneration property found in lizards. Before the blast that took away his arm, he had been a gifted and talented surgeon. Renowned in the US, he made a substantial income, and when he returned he could have easily lived off his earnings. But Connors would always have a love for science, so he became a professor at Empire State University to share his knowledge with others. In his spare time with his steady income he was able to support his own research. He had spent so many years researching and then perfecting his formula, and now his work would pay off.  
  
He had begun the testing on small rodents over three years ago, and over the months and years he began to test larger subjects. The results were miraculous- all of the missing limbs grew back completely healthy, functional, and in proportion, with no side-affects whatsoever. He tested on anything he could get- but the one animal he had trouble getting to cooperate was a human. For over a year he had been searching for a small group of people to start the testing on. He had no luck and was growing impatient. This was a medical miracle, a scientific breakthrough! If no one else would test it, he would have to do so on himself. It was Connors original intent to regain his arm anyway, why shouldn't he be the first to reap the benefits? After the initial testing he was sure companies would pounce on the idea-millions of people could be saved and he would have his arm back again to perform surgery again.  
  
Despite his years or work, Connors was still nervous. He was usually a self-confident man, but at this moment he had his doubts. "It's just nerves," he told himself. He injected himself with the serum. The prick of the needle itself was not painful, but the after effect of the formula was. He became overwhelmed with a sense of vertigo-the room began to spin, and in his efforts to support himself on the desk he fell over onto the floor. Nausea and pain overwhelmed him, the feeling spread over his whole body. He closed his eyes and in moments he had became unconscious.  
  
Connors eyes fluttered open nearly 24 hours later. He felt the cold hard tile floor underneath him, and tried to remember where he was. His thoughts of the previous day floated back to him. He sat up, too quickly, and his head began to throb. He lifted his hands to rub his temples. Hands. Plural. He had two now. He rolled up the sleeve of his white lab coat and inspected his new right arm thoroughly......it was perfect. He stood up, still in amazement. He flexed his hand. He picked up an eraser from the ledge and started erasing madly. He set down the eraser back on the ledge, full of delight. Gleefully he picked up a pen and paper on the desk and started writing. It didn't matter what he wrote, he wrote with his right hand now! Connors had always been right-handed, but after loosing his right arm he had to teach himself to be a lefty. He was ambidextrous now, but it didn't matter, he had his arm back.  
  
He glanced at his watch it was 7:30- of the next day. "Martha and Billy must be worried by now," he thought. It didn't matter though, he had his arm back. He thought of calling them to tell them the good news- no, he would show them in person. He locked up the room, leaving all of his formulations and supplies there- it didn't matter to him, they would be there the next day. His stomach growled as he walked down the secluded hallway. "I haven't eaten in over 24 hours," he thought, "And my body especially needs nourishment after gaining a new part." Nearly out of the building he stared once again at his hand, proud of his accomplishment.  
  
It was just like his old one, except this one was turning green. "Oh god, I've developed an infection. Or maybe my body can't handle the new part and is rejecting it." He ran back to the lab. As he fumbled to unlock the door, he noticed a fine layer of scales covering his right hand and arm........and now his other arm....he opened the door, running inside to find something to better inspect his skin with. As he ran past a glass case he noticed his reflection in it and stopped dead in his tracks.  
  
Connors lifted his claw-like hand to his face...it too was becoming covered with scales. "No!" He gasped, "What's happening to me?" But the rest of his body was almost done transforming, and his words were a hiss.  
  
Meanwhile, at J. Jonah Jameson's office in the Daily Bugle....  
  
"I came here with the pictures, sir." Peter Parker timidly handed his latest photographs to J. Jonah Jameson.  
  
"About time. Where were you, frolicking in Central Park?"  
  
"I was in class sir, I came as soon as it was over." Peter had been trying his best to attend all of his classes. It was hard juggling being both a student and a superhero.  
  
"What a kid like you needs is more experience, not classes at some stuffy university."  
  
J.Jonah Jameson looked over Peter's latest Spider-Man pictures hurriedly.  
  
"What is this, a GQ photo shoot?"  
  
"It was hard to get any interesting action shots, sir, Spider-Man hasn't had any new villains lately, just you know, bank robbers and stuff."  
  
"Well try harder, readers want to see this masked menace in action, not posing with some old geezers. What he needs are some new accomplices, whatever happened to that Doc Ock that he was in cohorts with?"  
  
"He's at the bottom of the river, sir." "I think" he thought, "And he wasn't in cohorts with-"  
  
"What are you, his publicist or something? I bet he's out there right now trying to find some other freak to work with."  
  
Robbie came into the room.  
  
"Would it kill you to knock?"  
  
"Turn on channel 9, there's a mutant loose in the city."  
  
"A mutant, huh? Why are you still standing here, Parker? I don't pay you to stand around and watch my TV. Get some decent pics of this big foot or chupacabra or whatever it is, and some action shots of Spider-Man, too, that masked freak is bound to show up. That's what's going to be our front page tomorrow, not this crap."  
  
Peter took back his pictures and was on his way.  
  
"My old teacher Professor Connors was a reptilian specialist. Maybe I should go to him first to see if he knows anything about this mutant lizard," Peter thought. Finding the nearest dark alley Peter changed into his Spider-Man costume and made his way to Connors lab. He crawled through the window, expecting to find Connors there working late. Instead, he found a forty something woman with short blonde hair crying.  
  
"Spider-Man?"  
  
"The one and only. Looks like I came at a bad time."  
  
"No, well, yes, I mean, it's good you're here. My husband...Curt...he....he's the mutant lizard...he tested the serum on himself....and the effects are only worsening over time. He wrote in the note he left he's forgetting who he is and he doesn't know how much longer he'll be himself....he thought it would be best if Billy and I left town, but I can't leave Curt here, there's got to be a way to save him," Mrs. Connors said, trying to compose herself.  
  
"If all of his work is here, I might be able to find the antidote."  
  
"I didn't know you're a scientist, Spider-Man."  
  
"You could say that. I'm sorry about your husband- it's getting dark out, would you like a certain super hero to escort you home?"  
  
"No, I'll be fine, just please hurry Spider-Man."  
  
Mrs. Connors left the lab, leaving Spider-Man alone to inspect the contents of the room. All of Connors notes and experiments were there, both in paper form and saved on the computer. Supplies were abundant, he had nearly everything he would need-except time. He needed every second he could get. If only there were someone else to help him, someone who was more learned and experienced than he, someone who already knew Doc Connors and would be sympathetic of the case and not rat him out, someone who had all the time in the world. Yes, there was someone.......but Peter wondered if he was still alive.  
  
Spider-Man entered the old abandoned building. It was the last place Doc Ock had been seen, moments prior to his supposed death. It had been searched thoroughly, but maybe he had come back after the accident. Where else could he go? He was wanted for different accounts- murder, destruction, bank robbery, etc. His old apartment that he had shared with his beloved Rosie was already emptied and was back on the market, looking for a new owner.  
  
"Dr. Octavius?" Spider-Man called out searching the room, "I'm here about Dr. Connors."  
  
Spider-Man waited what seemed like a few minutes before he called out again. "It's about the regeneration formula. He tested it on himself. I need your help to find the cure."  
  
A shadowy figure immerged from the darkness.  
  
"I was afraid he'd try to use his research for more practical reasons." Octavius was a wreck- it looked as if he hadn't shaved, showered or slept in weeks. His hair was a mess and a fine layer of stubble was growing across his face. Octavius wasn't angered that Peter, the one who had warned him of a supposed flaw in his own experiment had returned. He was surprised Peter had turned to him for help in light of recent tragedies.  
  
"We both must know that I couldn't have possibly made a mistake." Otto thought. "My ideas are far too advanced to be carried out presently. I'm years before my time. One day my work will be appreciated, mankind is incapable of using this research now."  
  
"Did the arm grow in deformed? Is he experiencing a reverse effect similar to leprosy? Some other unwanted side effect?" Octavius asked out loud.  
  
"You could say that. But we need all the time we can get. We need to get to Dr. Connor's lab, I'll explain there."  
  
They entered Dr. Connor's lab from the windows, and as Peter (still dressed as Spider-Man) explained to Octavius everything he knew about the situation. They both got to work reading over Connors notes, looking over the formulations, and after some extensive reading Octavius took an inventory of the supplies, writing on a sheet of paper that he thought they needed.  
  
"We may need more supplies to find the antidote. He obviously has a wide range of chemicals here, but I'd like to get more. There's no time to waste, you stay here and I'll obtain the chemicals."  
  
Normally as Spider-Man he would object, where would a wanted criminal get them?  
  
"You're not going to do anything illegal, are you?" Peter asked. But Octavius had already left.  
  
"I might as well get out of here, too." Peter thought. "I've got some pictures to take and time's a' waistin'."  
  
Since the lizard had been seen last entering the sewers, Spider-Man figured he should check there first. He entered the first sewer he could find.  
  
"Man, I shoulda brought some nose plugs," he thought. "I bet lizards have a weak sense of smell but spider's sure don't."  
  
After what felt like hours of searching the intricate underground sewer system, Spider-Man saw a figure. It was about six feet tall wearing a white lab coat and bluish pants, both of which were tattered significantly. It's green skin looked tough and it's tail was enormous. Spider-Man hoped he wouldn't have to fight him.  
  
But the giant lizard was preoccupied, happily gnawing on the carcass of a rodent. When it was done peeling off the flesh from its bones, he tossed it aside, searching for another creature to eat. Spider-Man decided not to disturb the lizard, and just stayed back observing and taking pictures silently, careful not to make any sudden movements to be noticed.  
  
"If he was desperate enough to be hunting rats savagely, he's probably not human enough to hold a conversation, and I don't want to risk going to battle with him," Spider-Man thought. A roll of film later he called it quits, and went back to Connors' lab to wait for Dr. Octavius. 


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note:  
First and foremost, thanks for the feedback, always appreciate it. I don't know how to reply to reviews, so to avoid any more confusion I'll just say here that this story is a separate fic from The Warning (a one shot that I wrote). I pretty much know where I'm going with this, mwahahaha! I hope to get a new chapter up each week. Oh, and I added a general disclaimer to my profile so I won't have to take up more space with announcements like this. Enjoy, and as always, feedback is always wanted. :)  
  
Adalheida hated her job almost as much as she hated her name. A brilliant chemist and physicist, she had graduated at the top of her class. She had bounced around from job to job, eventually landing a nice gig at cosmetics company. She was homely and not concerned in appearances in the least bit, the irony of working in a cosmetics lab was not lost on her. She glanced out the window, focusing on the add for their latest line of perfumes entitled, "Emma Rose". The model on the billboard was young and pale with light beautiful red hair and crystal blue eyes. Adalheida recognized her as up and coming actress Mary Jane Watson. "I should have looked like that at her age," Adalheida thought. She was about average height and build, and her hair was a mousy brown. Her eyes were more grayish blue than the girl on the billboard. Nearly forty, her eyesight only worsened with age and she was dependent on the small wire frame glasses adorning her plain face.  
  
Returning back to her work, she sighed. It was late now, and all of her colleagues had left for the night. Adalheida chose the night shift on purpose- she worked better alone. Mixing the latest formula, she thought she heard a noise......almost like someone breaking in.  
  
Adalheida was by no means a strong woman- she had no idea how to physically defend herself. Moving as quickly and quietly as she could she started to mix a new batch of chemicals. In seconds the light gray mixture was complete. She tried her best not to inhale the fumes. There were no phones in her room at all- there was no way of contacting 911, and she was on the third floor-she wouldn't have time to escape. If the intruder had a gun he could easily shoot her as she rushed down the fire escape. Hiding behind the door, she waited for the intruder to enter.  
  
She jumped out as he entered, taking him by surprise. Something metal whipped forward to shield himself, but some of the liquid still managed to splash on his face and eyes, enough for a reaction. It wouldn't begin to set in for another fifteen seconds or so.  
  
Unfortunately as Adalheida tried to make a getaway something cold and metal grabbed her, and she screamed louder than she had ever screamed before. At that moment, the chemical reaction began to kick in, the intruder cried in agony, momentarily dropping Adalheida. She took this time to start running, grabbing the rest of the chemical substance off the table as she went. The door was blocked, so there was no way of getting past the intruder, so she scrambled to the back of the room.  
  
"Don't you dare come near me again, I've got plenty more where that came from, "she boasted as loud as she could, her voice shaking. She studied the intruder, his metal arms flailing about in pain...."Metal arms?!?" she though. Her jaw dropped. She looked him over. He was tall, and she couldn't make out any of his features because his hands covered his face. He wore a fedora and a long trenchcoat that were both battered and worn. "So this is Doc Ock," she mused silently.  
  
"I would expect someone of your intelligence to realize that it's not a smart idea to attack someone in a chem lab. I was able to make my own home-made mace before you entered this back room, it's much stronger than the legal stuff, you like it?"  
  
The metal arms finally stopped flailing and twitching, and the intruder (still in much pain) walked forward.  
  
"Is it chloroacetophenone or orto-chlorobenzylidene-malononitrile?" he gritted between his teeth  
  
"Chloroacetophenone. It'll be active for another thirty minutes and the burning won't go away for another hour or so. Oh, and as you may already know, unlike orto-chlorobenzylidene-malononitrile the affects can be subdued with alkali or a water solution. Good thing you're wearing sunglasses even though it must be past 11 at night, or you might be permanently blind. Who the hell do you think you are, anyway, Corey Hart?" Although Adalheida was usually quiet, she had a reputation for being not exactly being the most pleasant person. She didn't take anything from anyone, even if they did have the means to kill her.  
  
A tentacle tore off the sunglasses, "Doctor Octopus," he said correcting her.  
  
"Delighted to meet you, "she spat sarcastically, "So what exactly was your intention of coming here? I bet it wasn't to obtain permanent scarring of facial tissue, lacrimation, nasal irritation, inflamed skin, and excessive spasms. I wouldn't want to move too far in your condition, so you have plenty of time to tell me."  
  
The old Doctor Octopus would have already gotten rid of this scientist. But he was here on a crusade for his friend, and he had learned his lesson the first time. He wasn't the ruthless villain he used to be. As much as he didn't want to, it looked as if he would have to drag a bystander into it.  
  
"I need chemicals for...." he paused.  
  
"Why should I admit to her my true motives?" He thought.  
  
"Personal reasons. I came to a cosmetics company because I wouldn't feel as guilty taking it's supplies- the world can survive without a little less makeup."  
  
"And what are you planning on doing with me?"  
  
Otto hadn't excepted to run into anyone. He assumed the only people he would run into were guards, which he could easily dispose of. Now that he had a witness, he would have to watch her, to make sure she wouldn't run to the authorities.  
  
"You my dear, will be the one supplying me with the chemicals," A tentacle handed her the list.  
  
"And if I refuse?"  
  
Octavius opened and shut the claws of one of his tentacles in a menacing manner.  
  
"Although you've given me no reason to trust you, I would appreciate your honesty in selection of chemicals."  
  
She took the list, looking over it for a moment. She knew the company supplied the majority of the listed chemicals.  
  
She began to gather those that were present in the room, putting them in a travel case used for moving chemicals.  
  
"We have more of these, but I have to go to the storage room. You do realize I'm going to get fired for this, right?'  
  
"All in the name of science. I'll be waiting here. And if you do choose to run off, just remember, not only do I have half of the chemicals I need, "he lifted Adalheida's wallet from her purse flipping it open to reveal her driver's license, "I know where you live."  
  
Adalheida mumbled something as she left, and gathered the needed chemicals from the storage room. The storage room, unlike the testing area that she worked in, was under constant video surveillance. They wouldn't suspect anything at first glance, but after reviewing the tape she know someone would notice that something was off. She returned to the lab, chemicals in hand, neatly packed in a container.  
  
Octavius was still inspecting the contents of her wallet.  
  
"Interesting name, Adalheida Jarvinia Abendroth. Are you of German descent?"  
  
"Yes," she admitted, as Otto packed away the chemicals. If he was trying to make small talk, she might as well make the best of it and go along, "Adalheida means sweet or noble. Try explaining that to a group of 2nd graders," she explained in her usual sarcastic tone.  
  
Octavius smirked. "Try being named Otto Gunther Octavius. I never exactly had it easy, either." He shoved the license back into the wallet, and tossed the wallet back into the purse, handing it to her. "Shall we go now?"  
  
"We?"  
  
"I'm also in need of some personal supplies. It'll save me a trip if I transport you home in the process."  
  
Before could protest one of Octavius's tentacles grabbed her immediately and they went off into the darkness in the direction of Adalheida's apartment. They arrived through her window.  
  
"Sure know how to treat a lady." she spat sarcastically.  
  
"I've been gentlemanly this whole time. But I am going to need another favor."  
  
"What am I getting in return for all these favors?"  
  
Octavius found a sturdy duffel bag, and began to rummage around her kitchen.  
  
He finally gave a response, "Your life."  
  
"You plan to clean out my whole kitchen?"  
  
"It's far more convenient and safe to take what I can now, instead of continually running out to get more, with the risk of being seen."  
  
Luckily for Octavius, Adalheida had gone grocery shopping the day before so the kitchen was heavily stocked. The only cooking supplied he had stolen were a microwave and a mini-fridge, so he took all of the non-perishable items first, along with a few utensils, bowls, and plates.  
  
"I could rat you out to the cops," Adalheida said, trying to sound intimidating.  
  
"And what would you tell them what exactly? The police think I'm dead, and have no idea where I'm currently residing. And why would they believe anything you could tell them? There are no other witnesses, no proof."  
  
"The surveillance tapes."  
  
"I stole them as you took the chemicals. They would assume you removed them, especially after they realize the inventory is low and you're the only one on night shift. All evidence points to you."  
  
He then filled the backpack with whatever other food items he could, and various cleaning supplies he found underneath the sink. Octavius wasn't worried in the least bit about being caught. "Even if this woman did inform the police, they'd never be able to find me, I will find the antidote in a day or so and then I will find another place to reside other than the dock," he thought.  
  
"I could still say I saw you."  
  
"They'd think you're delusional. You're unmarried, overeducating and underemployed in this pathetic excuse for an apartment, swarming with cats-"  
  
"Three is hardly swarming."  
  
"You're obviously a loner, judging from your living conditions and work hours. Maybe you got lonely and tired of reading these trashy romance novels and sappy movies."  
  
He stopped his raiding for a moment and read over the titles of the books on the tall bookcase. "You start off with all these delightful science textbooks, but then all of a sudden there's "In My Wildest Dreams", "Too Much Temptation" "Sweet Savage Love", " Nick All Night"....and your movie collection Casablanca, Gone with the Wind, The Princess Bride, Undertaking Betty...hm, never heard of that one."  
  
"It's really good, Alfred Molina is really cu- hey, you plan to stand here and criticize my reading and film collection? You're no film critic."  
  
"Neither are you."  
  
Finding the hall closet, he then took all of the soap and other sanitary items, along with a few towels and washcloths.  
  
"I'll be leaving now. Thank you for the charitable donation."  
  
Octavius returned to the lab, bags in hand. Tentacles, actually.  
  
"All of that for one experiment?"  
  
"Some of the contents are for my personal consumption."  
  
Even though Peter was wearing a mask, Octavius knew he was receiving a dirty look.  
  
"I think I'm allowed to receive nourishment and keep up my hygienic routine" Octavius paused and thought that maybe Peter wasn't exaclty up to the highest standards either- he smelled like sewage.  
  
"Have you found anything?"  
  
"I read over his research and I made a few additional notes. I'm going to get going, this is prime crime time." That sounded a lot less cheesy in my head, Peter thought.  
  
"Very well then."  
  
Peter remembered something from when he had stayed late or gotten there early to make up missing lab assignments with Connors. "This hallway is only for credit courses for students, so all of the classes are in the daytime. The janitor comes around six, and everyone is usually gone about 8:30 in the evening."  
  
"Thank you for the information. I'll plan accordingly. Do you plan to return?"  
  
As Spider-Man, he could never make any guarantees. "I'll try."  
  
Spider-Man swung through the city, returning a stolen purse to an old lady and stopping a fight between two rival gangs. After he felt he had successfully inventoried the land, he returned back to his apartment to develop the pictures he would turn in early that morning. And to shower and wash out his smelly costume of course.  
  
Although Spider-Man's night was long, Octavius's was even longer. It felt natural to be back in a laboratory, it had seemed like ages to him. It was also good to have something to take up his time and preoccupy him. Now he had no time for the memories of Rosie to cloud his thoughts. The guilt and pain were constantly in the back of his mind, but they seemed further now that he had something to pass the time.  
  
That first night, Octavius had no luck. If he could he would have stayed there twenty four seven to finish the work, but that just wasn't safe. For the first time in hours, Octavius glanced up at the clock at 5:17. He didn't want to cut it close and risk begin seen by the janitor, so he stopped where he was, printing out more notes to look over during the day. He then proceeded to shower and shave in the emergency shower in the back of the lab.  
  
The rest of Adalheida's night was also interesting. She stayed up, plotting....  
  
"Octavius's work brought him fame, even if it was short-lived and soon failed. If only I could get my hands on that research, I'm more intelligent than he is, I could find the miscalculations in an instant, and the glory will be mine. First I've got to find him, and then I've got to get a way to get that research from him. So I guess I won't call the cops. ….not yet anyway." 


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: This is more of a Peter chapter, but don't worry, I promise there will be more Ock next chapter. Also, didn't know what to call Peter's scooter/vespa/bike thingy, so I just called it a vespa. In the comic books I thought it was a motorcycle, but in the movie it was different, so whatever. And Adalheida isn't supposed to be me, even though she does have a crush on Alfred Molina (I couldn't resist putting that in). If Ock had approached me, I would have acted entirely different. As in, "Take anything you want, and there's something waiting for you in the bedroom…" 0:) And last but definitely not least, thanks again for all the reviews!  
  
A very tired Peter Parker made his way to the Daily Bugle. The pictures he had taken in the sewer were way below his usual quality, but then again it was hard to get any good shots with such little light.  
  
"I can't have this on the front page of my paper, the lizard is obviously a hoax. Fake, fake, fake, looks like you had some guy in a costume. I can't go around printing this crap," J. Jonah Jameson said. "Don't you have any of that spider-freak?"  
  
Peter had a few Spider-Man pictures with him. They were old, unused ones from months ago, but Jameson wouldn't know the difference.  
  
"This'll have to work- Robbie, I want this on the front page underneath the headline "Daily Bugle Challenges Spider-Man to Defeat the Lizard."  
  
"I thought you said he's a hoax, sir."  
  
"Yeah, but it sells papers. I'll give you one fifty."  
  
"Two fifty."  
  
"Two hundred, but don't waste any more of my time with crappy shots or you're fired."  
  
Peter walked out of J. Jonah Jameson's office, payslip in hand, giving it to Betty Brant.  
  
"I guess you're able to pay the rent now."  
  
"I might even have money left over for groceries."  
  
"Wouldn't want you to see a nice guy like you starve, Peter. Just in case, would you like to go out for dinner with me? My treat."  
  
Peter knew he could use a few more friends. He had never exactly been popular in high school, and now in college he was too busy running off being Spider-Man to find a social group. Peter and Betty exchanged numbers.  
  
"I'll pick you up at seven. I have to warn you, I have a vespa. It's not exactly a Harley, but it does the job."  
  
Betty smiled.  
  
"That would be fine."  
  
Taking his money and Betty's number, Peter headed for his morning classes and made it home without any disturbances. Once there he tidied up his apartment, dusted, and gathered his clothes to take to the laundromat. He went out to do his grocery shopping with his twenty-dollar budget. He had a mini fridge; it's not like he could hold a lot of food, anyway. Then he did his laundry at the laundromat, and made his way back, groceries and laundry in hand. Peter enjoyed having a "normal" day, it was rare that it went so long without any having to do anything as Spider-Man.  
  
Passing by the Ditkovich's room, he remembered the seventy-five dollars he still owed. He knocked on the door, trying to balance his groceries and laundry at the same time. His knock was answered right away by his skinny, blonde haired admirer.  
  
"Hi Ursula, is Mr. Ditkovich home? I wanted to give him the rest of the rent."  
  
"No, but I can give it to him. Would you like to uh, come in Peter?" Her face was turning a deep shade of scarlet.  
  
Ursula let Peter in, and he fumbled to take out the bills from his pocket, dropping some of his laundry in the process.  
  
"I'm sorry," Ursula murmured, handing back the laundry and taking the one-hundred dollar bill.  
  
"No, it's my fault. Um, I figured I'd leave a twenty five dollar deposit for next month."  
  
"Early rent, that makes up for some of the lateness, right?" Peter thought.  
  
"Thanks. Would you like me to help you carry some of your things back to your apartment?"  
  
"No, it's ok, I'm fine."  
  
"Oh, you had a phone call while you were out. The ringing bothers Father so I picked it up. It was someone named Mary Jane."  
  
"Thanks. Seems like I really need to invest in an answering machine. Good thing you're around."  
  
Ursula blushed even more, and Peter headed up to his apartment. Putting away his groceries and laundry,  
  
Peter saw that it was now quarter after 6, and was hurrying to get ready. He was done relatively quickly, and was about to call Betty to say he was on his way when there was a knock at the door.  
  
"All dressed up and nowhere to go, huh tiger?"  
  
"MJ!"  
  
Mary Jane came in, looking over the apartment.  
  
"You cleaned, but you didn't have time to call me back?"  
  
"I'm sorry, I was running errands all day-"  
  
"Any of them Spider-Man related?" As much as she hated that her boyfriend was a superhero and his life was always in danger, he did always have some interesting stories.  
  
"Well, no, but-"  
  
There was another knock at the door.  
  
"Oh boy, it's probably Ditkovich." It was, it just wasn't the Ditkovich he expected.  
  
"You left these when you came over," Ursula said, more crimson than ever.  
  
Peter took the boxers and Ursula left.  
  
Mary Jane was not amused.  
  
"It's not what it looks like. I'd explain, but I really have to go, I'll call you tomor-  
  
"And where are you going all dressed up?" MJ had her arms crossed.  
  
"I'm going out to dinner with Betty-"  
  
"Peter!"  
  
"It's a friend thing!"  
  
"First I can't get a hold of you, then when someone finally picks up it's some girl, then some girl is giving you back your boxers, and now you're going out to dinner with Betty? Anything else you'd like to add?"  
  
"Um….I love you?"  
  
Exasperated, Mary Jane left. Peter called out after her, but saw that it was twenty to seven. He ran out to pick up Betty.  
  
They went to a nice restaurant, nicer than the diners Peter was used to, anyway. Peter enjoyed seeing Betty outside of the Daily Bugle. She was easy to talk to and they surprisingly had a lot to converse about. Betty explained how her brother was a lawyer, and their mother had died a few years ago so she had dropped out of college to get a job. She was proud of her brother but didn't think that it was fair that he got to go to college while she was stuck being a secretary. It sounded like she was unsure what she wanted in life, besides stability, and wanted to return to college. Peter talked about his childhood, Aunt May, and his studies. Even though some of the topics seemed heavy, the mood was lighthearted and they both had a good time.  
  
While they were drinking their coffees Betty made a confession.  
  
"I have to admit, I've had a little bit of a crush on you for a while."  
  
Peter nearly spit out his coffee. Sure, he had noticed the raven-haired secretary, and flirted a good amount of times with her, but that was before he and MJ were dating. His heart had always belonged to Mary Jane.  
  
"Wow, I'm really flattered Betty, I am..."  
  
Betty sensed a "but" coming on.  
  
"But I uh, we can't date, Betty." He wanted to say he liked her as a friend, but it seemed so cliched at the moment. He grasped for another excuse. "I'm taken," If MJ even wants to see me again he thought solemnly, "and besides, there's someone else that likes you."  
  
Betty seemed pleasantly surprised.  
  
"I wasn't supposed to tell you, but I guess I let the cat out of the bag. The new reporter, Ned Leeds. He's been talking about you." Actually, he hadn't, but Peter had a hunch he was interested in her. He had seen the way he looked at her. He hoped his instincts were right.  
  
Betty seemed flattered, even though Peter had let her down.  
  
"Still friends?"  
  
Betty smiled. "Still friends. You're lucky, if not you'd be paying for your own dinner and I suspect you'd be in the back washing dishes."  
  
Peter lifted his mug in mock toast.  
  
"To J. Jonah Jameson, the most benevolent employer I've ever had." What Betty didn't know is that he was only half kidding, considering his past jobs.  
  
After Peter dropped Betty off, he made his usual rounds in the city, and made it back to the lab to work with Octavius. It was another unsuccessful night, but there were getting closer. 


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning Peter was awoken at 8:16 by someone knocking on his door.  
  
"Two hours of sleep," he thought, "A new record."  
  
"Hey," A very groggy Peter greeted the visitor at his door.  
  
"Hey," Mary Jane knew her time with Peter was limited- he was always running off as Spider-Man, and she had rehearsals to go to. "We never got to finish our conversation last night."  
  
"Last night I-"  
  
"We'll forget about that." "For now," Mary Jane thought.  
  
"I was trying to get a hold of you because I wanted you to come with me to a movie premiere. It's this Friday, I have a friend who's starring in it so she gave me two tickets."  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Great! I'll have the limo pick you up outside your building at eight. This is going to be so great!" Mary Jane momentarily forgot about all the past incidents, "Ha ha, I rhymed." She was giddy and she didn't care, "Oh, and you'll have to get a tux. Wait til you see my dress, you'll love it."  
  
"I bet, you look beautiful in everything."  
  
"Thanks Pete, that's why I keep you around. Sorry for waking you, I thought you'd be up by now, but I've gotta run, we're shooting at Central Park today."  
  
Mary Jane kissed him on the cheek and left.  
  
"Might as well stay up," Peter thought. He got dressed and ate a hurried breakfast, and went to the library where he spent the morning finishing up some homework and doing more research on lizards. After stopping for some lunch he made his way to the Natural History Museum to check out an exhibit on lizards. He figured he should do all the research he could.  
  
Peter was only there a few moments before his spider-sense starting tingling.  
  
"Let's get outta here," he heard a gruff voice say. Peter looked behind him to see two suspicious looking characters. Peter found a closed off section of the museum and quickly changed into his Spider-Man costume. When he came back, the two men were trying to take a hostage. Still unseen, he swung a web and in a Tarzan-like fashion, grabbed the female hostage and whisked her away to safety before either thief could realize what was going on.  
  
"I'll be taking those," Spider-man said as his webs grabbed the guns before they could shoot.  
  
"Run!" One of them yelled, and they both attempted to run off with the jewel, but Spider-Man swung in front of them.  
  
"I didn't know you were on the track team. A museum is a bad place for a race."  
  
"Aw, shuddup webhead," one said and tried to punch Spider-Man, but he ducked and came back with a punch that knocked them both down in one swoop.  
  
"So he's not working with some other mutant freak, he's a part of an international ring of jewel thieves."  
  
"He was stopping the thieves, sir." After the incident Peter had gone back to the apartment to develop his pictures, and accidentally fell asleep. He awoke five hours later, and rushed to the Daily Bugle before J. Jonah Jameson left for the day.  
  
"Yeah, so he could take the jewel himself I bet. I'll give you seventy five for it, last offer."  
  
Peter willingly took the paycheck and as usual handed it to Betty.  
  
"You get off work in a few minutes, want to grab a coffee?"  
  
"Sure. I've been worried about you Peter, you seem so worn out lately. Everything ok?"  
  
"Fine. It's just, you know, school. Finals are killer," It was a partial lie, but Peter was used to lying, although it wasn't something he was proud of.  
  
Peter waited for Betty, and they left.  
  
Minutes later hey sat down with their coffees, Betty bursting with excitement.  
  
"You were right about Ned, Peter, he asked me out! We have a date tomorrow night. I'm so excited, I haven't had a boyfriend since high school."  
  
"Congradualtions," Peter was relieved he had been right.  
  
"Thanks. I'd love to do that. Be a reporter like Ned, I mean."  
  
"You still can be. I bet most of your college credits are transferrable and you can still earn a degree. And I'm here if you ever need help in any science classes."  
  
"You're a real pal, Parker."  
  
They talked for a while, and eventually Peter offered to walk Betty home because it was dark out and getting late, and continued to chat along the way.  
  
"I bought Mary Jane something, I don't know if she'll like it, I need another opinion."  
  
They stepped underneath the ray of the streetlight, Peter taking out the necklace he had bought Mary Jane.  
  
"It's emerald, her birthstone," he explained. Betty took the black velvet box containing a silver pendant with a heart shaped charm incrusted with tiny emeralds.  
  
"Oh, she'll love it!" Betty exclaimed.  
  
Meanwhile, Mary Jane was at her actress friend's new apartment after a long day of shooting. Mary Jane finally went over to see the new place. It wasn't as great as she thought it had been- it was spacious but looked pretty run down and the balcony with an "amazing view" was actually just a view of the streets, not a skyscraper or pretty landscape in sight. The noise from the traffic must have been annoying at night. Mary Jane and her friend were standing on the tiny balcony, overlooking the street. And by pure coincidence, it was right across from where Peter and Betty were standing.  
  
Mary Jane stopped mid-sentence in their conversation.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"Something has come to my attention." Mary Jane shuddered. Weren't those the same words Norman Osborn had used two years ago? She made some lame excuse and by the time she had left and made her way down to the street, Peter was gone. Mary Jane wanted to approach Peter back at his apartment, but she was too upset to even think straight.  
  
"He was with some other girl....and he was giving her jewelry? Peter was always so responsible, and now he's not taking our relationship seriously. How could he be cheating on me after everything? I had felt like I was cheating on Peter when I was engaged to John. Which was funny, considering we weren't even dating then. But now we are, so it's different. I thought I knew Peter, even though he held so many secrets. Maybe he's still got a few more I don't know about."  
  
Meanwhile, back at Connors lab:  
  
Dr. Octavius was hard at work. He was so focused he didn't even notice when someone came through the window.  
  
"I made you a present," A female voice said mysteriously.  
  
"Adalheida, you shouldn't have, " Octavius responded dryly, setting down his work. "I still have the scars from the last one you gave me. How did you get in here, anyway?"  
  
"The window was open, I figured I'd find you in a chem lab somewhere, I've been searching all night. Let's let bygones be bygones."  
  
She picked up a tinted tube with some kind of liquid in it.  
  
"I feel horrible about the scaring on your face, and I'm assuming you have additional scaring elsewhere, so I made a formula to help clear up some of the scaring and promote healthy skin growth. It's basically glycolic and salicylic acid combined with other hydroxic acids, and copper peptides. The bottle will probably be enough to remove nearly anything, it's higher concentration than anything that you can get in a drug store, so your skin will appear more reddish the next few weeks, but should go away. I also made a highly powerful antiseptic for your back, I'm surprised you haven't died of an infection yet."  
  
"You should have been a dermatologist. It's a shame I'm not a willing patient."  
  
"That's stings, Dr. Octavius-"  
  
"Like the chemicals you through at me?"  
  
"I was hoping we could be......." she came towards him, too close for his comfort. "Friends."  
  
He distanced himself.  
  
"I'm not in the mood for games, what is it you want?"  
  
Adalheida dropped the act. "I want your work Octavius, your life work. You might not be able to fix it by I can."  
  
"How DARE you come in here and insult me. I am the superior one here, my work is far beyond your comprehension."  
  
He had drowned out the voices of the arms so long....they came back full force now, begging, pleading, coaxing, demanding that Adalheida be killed. Octavius was happy to obey, a tentacle reaching out towards Adalheida before she even had time to register and scream. He was about to tear her limb from limb when a certain wall crawler came in.  
  
"Hey, what's going on here, Ocky?"  
  
"Spider-Man!" Adalheida had found her voice.  
  
"We were just..uh..talking......." Octavius said, scrambling for an excuse.  
  
"Put her down."  
  
Dr. Octavius did, "I don't think it's best to let her go."  
  
"Oh, don't worry, I won't be calling the cops. You still have something I want." With that, Adalheida left through the window from which she came.  
  
With some tension in the air, Octavius and Spider-Man worked in silence the rest of the night. 


End file.
